We all know about the challenges that software developers and testers face during the software development process. Apart from focusing on software quality, they work on removing any possible bugs or errors in an application. They engage for decision making at various levels of the development process and communication with the stakeholders. In this competitive era, companies lay a lot of emphasis on an efficient bug tracking process so that they can increase their productivity.
One of the most common misconceptions regarding errors and bugs is that programmers believe that they can fix all of these errors alone. It is not possible as all developers, designers, testers, and managers have to work as a team to follow a proper strategy. There are various defect management tools they use to ensure effective bug tracking. However, the following are a few tips on how to make a bug tracking process efficient:
1. Inform when reporting a bug – On detection of an error, a developer simply begins by sorting out the expected behavior and the observed behavior of a bug. The developer should use error messages, screenshots for design related issues, etc. for reporting these bugs. So, to speed up bug tracking they must list down the following:
• Steps to reproduce an error
• The version of software in use
• Check if the error is recurring
Programmers aid in reducing the time taken in tracking bugs by providing all the relative information.
2. Set Priority – When dealing with a large size application that you are dealing with, then it is important to assign a priority to the most critical flaws. This can save a system from crashing.
3. Differentiate between feature requests and bugs – Feature requests keep coming in from the clients and it is a more engaging task for the developer. However, it is necessary to keep this separate from the bugs. The project manager has a lot of responsibility in making decisions. As a result, the manager must focus on creating a balance that is required for a successful application.
4. Never skip a step – Quality assurance experts or end users normally report bugs, and project managers set a priority and assign it to other team members. This process should be transparent because one missed step can result in a huge loss. Thus, it is important to carry out steps in sequence and also collaborate with other stakeholders – so that no bug ever goes unresolved.
5. Communicate – Managers and immediate stakeholders have to take big decisions. They have to set priorities of bugs, parameters to remove bugs, etc. It is necessary to communicate between various levels of the organization, to ensure that bug reporting is effective and efficient in all terms.
6. Use Defect Management Tools – It is one of the most important decisions that project managers have to take. Picking the right defect management tool depends on factors including technology, number of team members, and urgency of the task, etc.
These tips can be helpful in making bug tracking easier and simpler. It can be safely said that bug tracking tools have evolved with time and contribute to the effective bug tracking process a great deal.
Top comments (1)
Great post, Ray. Thanks for sharing!
Agree with you that it's always necessary to differentiate between bugs and feature requests and prioritize them accordingly.
Here an old joke comes to mind "It's not a bug, it's a feature" :)